Review: Peddler Steak House
(Florence, SC) Recently, the opportunity finally presented itself for a review of lunch at the Peddler Steak House in Florence, SC. This was welcome news and turned out to be an interesting experience. Read on for the details.
As a solo diner on this one, I arrived early. I’m usually early everywhere. It was a beautiful day outside and I just had to leave the office for a while and enjoy it a bit. The staff was available already and I was asked to wait a few minutes until the table was ready. No problem.
Looking around in these few minutes I noted the decor, which was nice but not overly fancy for what it is — I like that. The colors and the wood details, especially the bar and booth really added to the coziness of the place. Christmas garlands and faux French Horns were already on display and smooth jazz emanated from sound system. Relaxing. See the photos for some of what I’m describing. Visit the restaurants website for more professional shots. After all, I’m a foodie and not a photog.
Upon being seated I was presented with the dinner menu and not the lunch menu so my eyes popped-out (possibly noticeably) when I opened it and reviewed the prices. Dinner entrees appeared to run about $20 to $25 per person; upper-end for Florence I think. The lunch menu, which was shortly provided, settled my nerves and piqued my interest.
Among the burgers, tuna steak and other items I saw something I hadn’t had in years — French Onion Soup au Gratin. This would be my starter. No, I don’t usually have appetizers at lunchtime but this would be a treat.
For my entree I ordered the Black & Bleu Burger with Bleu Cheese crumbles and Bleu Cheese Dressing. I’m a big fan of Bleu Cheese (obviously) and it’s often accurate to judge a steakhouse based upon the simplest items on the menu. If the burgers or sides are good, chances are the steaks would be as well. I ordered mine at Medium temperature, along with house french fries.
French Onion Soup au Gratin. Oh, so good.
At the risk of sounding a bit over-enthusiastic, I’ll say the French Onion Soup was gorgeous. The cheese was appropriately gooey and rich. The soup was warm and satisfying, a bit salty but not so much that it distracted from the enjoyment. I found myself tipping the crockery-style bowl to the side so as not to miss the last few spoonfuls.
Yes, I enjoyed this soup and it will be something that I order again and again. It was a welcome reminder and true example of my experiences with this dish in some wonderful restaurants around the country.
Black & Bleu Burger.
My entree arrived on cue and I can’t say as much about it as I did the soup. Presentation was pleasing and inviting — all that Bleu Cheese was calling to me. But when taking the first bite I noticed that for Medium it was a bit cool, maybe even Medium Rare. I was disappointed as that extra pink in the center caused a bit of excess “juiciness” to the point that I ultimately chose to eat it with a knife and fork. The grilled bun added some needed texture in this case.
Did I enjoy the flavor? Yes. It was well seasoned and also larger than I expected. At about $10, I would say it is a good value. I’ll just order one notch up on the temp scale next time I visit, i.e. Medium Well for Medium.
My observations are the following: My server was attentive without being intrusive, as well as genuinely friendly. My soup and entree were well seasoned and I would order each again, with the temp modification noted above. The decor is inviting, comfortable and even cozy. The prices at lunchtime are reasonable and for dinner — for a special evening or business meeting — very workable. Note that my lunch totaled about $23, including tax, tip and my all-star soup appetizer.
All-in-all we would rate my Peddler Steak House of Florence, South Carolina lunch experience with two gas pumps on our unique restaurant rating scale. It’s very good and worth crossing town.
Next up, the Peddler Steak House for dinner. I’m sure there is a special occasion coming up soon.
Category: Restaurant Reviews
About the Author
Kevin Barron is a husband, father, self-described geek, and enthusiastic founder of PeeDeeFoodie.com. He also hosts its companion podcast, the Pee Dee Food Show, which can be found on iTunes and the blog. Learn more about Kevin under the Contributors tab above.Thanks for reading PeeDeeFoodie.com™
